


Hide & Seek

by mochaphile



Series: A Mother's Touch [Batmom One Shots] [2]
Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics), Justice League - All Media Types
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:41:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,493
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29840997
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mochaphile/pseuds/mochaphile
Summary: You could've sworn you left it there. Cass and Duke usually stay out of trouble so they're out of the question.Now, to look for the REAL troublemakers.All FOUR of them.
Relationships: Batman/Reader, Bruce Wayne/Batmom!Reader, Bruce Wayne/Reader, Bruce Wayne/You
Series: A Mother's Touch [Batmom One Shots] [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2186853
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	Hide & Seek

**Author's Note:**

> For a better experience, click on the underlined links in the story!
> 
> Feel free to choose whichever dagger designs that I've provided!

You snapped back into reality, hearing Duke's voice and Cass's hand waving in front of your eyes. Your hand remained on your hip, looking down on your office desk drawer. You've probably stayed in that pose for a while, like a Sims character viewing something.

In fact, that's _exactly_ what you're doing.

 _'What's wrong?'_ Cass signed.

"Well, it seems that a little gift of mine has gone missing," You directed to the scene.

One of your desk drawers held your set-of-eight [daggers](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/83/2f/ff/832fff4479a400d4a670f849ac106374.jpg), floral pink aesthetic to the eye and sharp to the tip, kept neatly in a glass display. 

That _'little gift'_ is the same knives you'd use for emergencies 

They were small enough to fit between each vacant fingers.

Hey, you had to protect yourself. Nobody knew you'd end up with Gotham's savior. Hidden keys and pepper spray can only do so much.

Knife-throwing, on the other hand, has a nice ring to it.

A good skill when a rare occasion when both Batman and all your Robins are in danger.

Now, one of them has gone missing. 

"One of them has been missing since last Thursday," You furrowed your eyebrows. You didn't look for it the first time since you've been pretty busy this week.

"Maybe you left one during practice?" Duke theorized.

"That's unlikely. The last time I practiced was two weeks ago," You squinted your eyes, knowing damn well who the suspect is. 

Or, _are_ , in this case. 

"Have you two seen the boys?" You closed the drawer before fully turning to the two. They shook their heads, both of their hands raised in defense.

"We just came home with Alfred from grocery shopping," Cass nodded at Duke's explanation. You hummed, stroking your chin as you thought for a moment. 

It's been a while since you've played a good Hide and Seek.

You're a pretty good seeker if you say so yourself. 

"Right, we have a case to solve!" You snapped your fingers before grabbing both of their hands, dragging them along.

Hastily but carefully, the three of you went down the grand stairs before standing in the middle of the hall. 

You walked a little forward, hands on your hips while briefly looking around.

Cass cocked her head to you, receiving a shoulder shrug from the equally-confused Duke. 

"Alright, let's start with the living room, yeah?" You whirled around with a smile, "It's the smallest room here so we can have a quick look around," 

It's really not. The living room's fucking **huge** , but compared to any other rooms, it's a _teeny_ _bit_ smaller.

They nodded, following along without asking any questions. 

Duke and Cass stood close to each other, watching as your back faced them while rummaging through one of the drawers. 

Cass turned her head back once heard the faintest sound of shuffling. She stiffened before poking Duke's arm, asking him to look.

He didn't expect to see [Tim](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/73/0b/a8/730ba8e0628c2f9c6cd15b89b7300047.gif) literally holding himself up on the very top of the arch.

Tim, noticing the stares of the other two, looked back. He quickly shook his head, silently telling them not to call you.

Like a deer caught in headlights, both of them stayed silent, glancing at you to see if you're ever going to turn around. 

"Nope, not here," You sighed, your back still facing them, "Come on, let's check the dining room," 

You didn't wait for them and made a beeline for the other arch connected to the dining room. Tim carefully landed with the softest ' _thud_ ' sound, groaning at his aching arms.

"Thanks, guys," Tim huffed, "You two better get going, who knows what or who else mom finds,"

He winked before running out of the room, leaving the two completely dumbfounded.

"Uh... let's keep going?" Duke insisted unsurely, earning a slow nod from Cass before searching for you. 

What they witnessed this time caused them to halt at the arch.

[Dick](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e1/62/0d/e1620d88e08ba50ac1a6e4ca0da71dd1.gif), with the help of his back and feet, perched himself _right above_ you, where you're kneeling under the dining table. Seeing Cass and Duke, he placed a finger on his lips shakily. Duke instantly kneeled beside you once he saw that you were about to stand up. If you did, you would definitely knock into Dick.

Really, how he got up there without getting caught was unexplainable.

"W-wait, I think I saw something shiny," Duke bluffed but relaxed a little when you stayed put.

"Really?" So, the two of you looked around for nothing, really. 

Cass's eyes darted between Dick and the dining table — telling him to climb onto the table and escape through the living room arch she's standing by. Dick understood, taking a peek underneath him before reaching one leg over the table. He was able to push himself easily, and Cass even _prayed_ there were no creaking sounds.

 _Oh_ , but to their horror, a **creaking** sound was heard. 

You paused, and so did Duke. He could hear his own heart thumping faster than usual. 

"Table's awfully creaky," You commented to Duke.

"Um... Maybe because it's old wood?" His sheepish smile nearly faltered as soon as he saw your suspicion.

" _Old wood doesn't creak by itself,_ " Duke didn't know how to respond to your comeback. You're about to stand and see what's over the table.

Before you could even do it, Cass was on the table, her head peeking over you.

"Cass?" You raised an eyebrow, earning an uncharacteristic wave from her, "Sweetie, what are you doing up there?" 

She didn't sign to reply. Instead, she came down from the table and just shrugged her shoulders. Thankfully, Dick was fast enough to make his close call.

"Found any luck?" Cass shook her head. You pouted. 

"Well, maybe we'll have our luck in the library,"

 _'Which one?'_ Cass asked. 

"Definitely the first one. I don't use the other one as often as Tim," You're about to use the arch connecting to the living room where Dick escaped.

Duke, out of panic, spun your shoulders to face the other arch, "Right, sorry, it's the other way," 

God knows how long you've lived here and you _still_ don't know your directions.

You're welcomed with the smell of old books and natural light from the windows. The library has always been your favorite part of the manor.

"Let me know if you see a shiny pink knife," You winked at them before splitting up. Surely nobody else is hiding, right?

Haha, _no_.

" _Cass_!" Duke called her in the most silent way possible. His eyes focused on [Damian](https://pa1.narvii.com/6264/638313a20ecdcdcf8aea57c9b4ed013a2ef82219_hq.gif), hiding on top of a large bookcase against the wall. He was able to hide in a shadow, but can still be detected.

What the _hell_ is going on.

"Duke, is everything okay?" You called from the other end of the library. 

"Y-yeah! Just uh, found a book that Cass and I might like," He took your hum as a sound of understanding, sighing in relief when you didn't come to inspect.

The search in the library lasted for 15 minutes and Damian was still in the same spot. 

"Well, this won't do," You meet up with the two in the middle of the library. They heard a hint of sadness in your tone, though you tried to hide it. Cass and Duke glanced at each other before nodding.

_**Operation: comfort mom.** _

"How about we go to the kitchen?" Duke suggested, "We can take a quick break. We might find your dagger there and even got you that blueberry muffin you liked," 

_Ah, bless your kids' souls._

"Alright, let's take five," So, the three of you walked to the kitchen, finding Alfred preparing tea and the treats they bought at the grocery store.

"Ah, just in time," Alfred greeted with a nod.

"Hi, Alfred," You waved, walking over to the butler while Cass and Duke sat at the island counter. 

"What's bothering you, Mistress (Y/N)?" You bit your lip while taking out the box of treats. 

"We've been looking for my dagger for a while. It's been missing since last Thursday," You opened the box, revealing a set of assorted muffins, "Duke, dear, could you please open the window?" 

Duke went to the sink and opened the window when suddenly he heard a grunt. He looked down. 

_Okay, this is getting too far._

[Jason](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/b1/1b/33/b11b332d266bddb5ea5cbe8eae7bf402.gif) dangling on the window sill.

_Duke has seen it all._

While it was only the ground floor, the foundation was pretty high. It's understandable why he couldn't just let go. 

"Duke?" He turned around slowly, seeing the three of staring at him worriedly, "You've been standing there for a while," 

"Just enjoying the view, y'know," He sweatdropped and returned to the island counter, hoping Jason will make his escape. Duke saw you holding your dagger, half-wrapped with a napkin.

"Oh, you've found it!" Duke grinned. 

"Actually, Alfred found it. I don't remember leaving it beside the coffee machine, though," 

"I'll be tending the garden, if you all need me," Alfred excused himself. You waved to one another before turning to the two. Silence filled the air, other than the sound of you taking muffins out for Cass and Duke.

"You two are saints, you know that?" You giggled, seeing them stop chewing halfway, "Ah, my dear Robins," 

"Speaking of," You put your cup of tea down, "Jason, I know you're at the window," 

The three of you watched the sink window togethee, Cass and Duke's eyes much wider. Seconds later, Jason climbed in through the window. 

"You too, boys. Don't think I don't know that you're all trying to sneak out," You sipped your drink while Dick, Tim and Damian came in, looking defeated, "Come, sit down with us," 

You rested your elbows on the counter, huffing in amusement as they coincidentally sat in order, based on who's adopted first. 

"Well, I can't say I'm angry cause truly, I'm not," You shrugged, "You have quite the teamwork, even if it's for the most mischievous reason," 

You served the remaining muffins to the boys, leaving some for Alfred and Bruce.

"With that, you're going to have to help Alfred with chores tomorrow, and that," Your eyes met Jason's, then Dick's seconds after, "Includes you two. Just because you have your own place doesn't mean there's no rules here,"

"Yes, mom,"

"Yes, ma," 

They replied in unison. 

"Good, now, since I know none of you are going to admit on who took it, I'll let you on a little secret. Why is this so precious to me?" You presented the dagger on both palms, moving between each teens to take a good look.

"It's actually the first gift your father's given to me since he found out about my swordsmanship. Or, well, in this case, _'knives-manship'_ ," You chortled.

"He bought them after finding out I've been using butter knives to defend myself since the cafe opened. He didn't have to buy the most extravagant. Hell, he didn't have to buy me one in the first place. Yet, here they are," 

You wiped the tip with the napkin. 

"That's why I can't live with the guilt if I ever lose it. Yes, the price is one thing. I know I'd _never_ buy anything remotely close to that price," They snorted when you shivered, "But, I can't lose a memorable moment. A reminder of how far I've gotten, as a (L/N) and, well, as a Wayne," You looked at all six of them fondly.

"Don't tell your father I said I don't have the heart to pay another set on my own. He'd just use the _'but money's not an issue'_ trump card," You grumbled.

You grew up having to choose between paying bills or the cheapest necessities. Of course, you'd never move past that habitual thought.

That cafe of yours suddenly became a miracle.

That's when you got yourself a set of butter knives from a dollar tree store. Being a woman and alone in Gotham, whether in the cafe or the streets, empty-handed was a big no-no. 

"But, Ummi, he's right; money's not an issue," Damian retorted, an eyebrow raised. You chuckled, shaking your head. Of course, the boy wouldn't exactly understand.

He practically grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. It beats fighting for your life alone though.

But, Jason did. It's why he had a soft spot for you, even after his resurrection ordeal. You were Bruce's wife but at the end of the day, you're also his mother.

"I know, Dami," You stroked his hair, smile widening as he couldn't help but lean into your touch.

"Well, I'm going to put this back where it belongs," You spun the dagger in one hand expertly and you walked out of the kitchen, but not before reminding them, "Tomorrow's gardening and laundry duty, by the way!"

Your kids sat in silence.

"What did I miss?" Right on cue, Bruce entered the kitchen, grabbing a cup for himself. He just came home from work.

"We played hide and seek because Jason couldn't keep his hands to himself," Dick pointed to his brother before dodging his slap on the head.

"You guys used it too! Hell, it's Tim's idea! He wanted to analyze what they were made of and all that shit," Tim jolted at their glares and did a 'time out' gesture.

"Damian said it was okay since mom gave him to look!"

"I told you it was alright to take a good look, not bring it to your room to experiment!" Damian hissed.

"Wait, wait, wait," Tim raised his hands before the three could pounce, "She said she saw it missing since Last Thursday. Didn't we return it on Tuesday?" Bruce could see their gears turning and laughed lowly.

"I don't know if I should be proud or disappointed in you guys for noticing it now," Bruce shook his head before sipping on his coffee. They stared at Bruce before realization hits and turned to Cass and Duke, who were as still as statues. 

"Guys," Dick's eyes widened and approached the two, "Who did it?"

"Cass uh... said she wanted to take a peek," Cass turned her head to Duke almost offendedly and signed to her father figure rapidly.

"Cass said you didn't stop her once though," Bruce translated, chuckling incredulously at their behavior.

_To think that some of them were once trained to kill him._

"Well, what's done is done. I'm definitely not doing gardening duty," Damian crossed his arms. Usually, two people are required for the chore.

"Nose goes," Duke suddenly announced. In the end, Duke and Tim were the two unlucky souls with gardening duty. Cass and Damian high-fived.

Bruce had left the kitchen by now, looking for you. He chuckled once in a while throughout the walk, hoping to tell you what happened between the kids.

He _did,_ however, listen to the part where you're still very hesitant about spending money on yourself. 

Money's not an issue. He'll just order another and hand it to you tomorrow. 


End file.
